Phineas topham



UNITED STATES PATENT Erica v,

PHINEAS TOPHAM, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND MATILDA A. TRELEASE, OF SAME PLACE.

VIOLIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,120, dated November 1, 1881.-

Application filed Angustflil, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PHINEAS TOPHAM, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented anew and ImprovedViolin, of which the followingis afull,

clear, and exact description.

The objectof this invention is to increase the volume of sound and the fullness of the notes of the violin, to facilitate the playing of two notes atonce, and to enable the operatorto play the accompaniment with the tune.

The invention consists of a violin provided with a sounding-board extending over and supported on the violin-belly, with its tongue engaged in a pocket of the finger-board; of a number of auxiliary strings stretched between the usual strings; of a swinging link pivoted in the scroll for the attachment of the auxiliary strings; ofatail-piece for holdingthe usual strings, and provided with tightening-pins for holding and setting the auxiliary strings, and of the bridges set on the sounding-board to support the strings, all of which will be here inafter set forth.

Figure l is a plan of a violin with my improvements attached. Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on line a or, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-seetion of the same on line y 3 Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view 0 of the holder for the auxiliary strings.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents a violin of ordinary construction, and B a sounding-board 5 extending over and supported on the violinbelly by central studs or supports, a a, and by a tongue, I), which projects from the front of said sounding-board B into a corresponding socket or pocket, 0, formed in or upon the vio- 0 lin finger-board d, on the under side thereof. This sounding-board B is designed to extend nearly the whole width oi the violin to which it is applied, and to be as long as possiblewithout interfering with the strings. The sound- 5 ing-board B consists of a thin board or veneer bottom, B, bent slightly upwardfrom its longitudinal center to its edges, and having fixed on its top, along its center, a hollow box, B which slopes downward to either end from the highest central point,f,as shown; The vibrations of the sounding-board Bare transmitted to the belly of the violin by means of the supports a a. I

At the rear end of the board B a semi-cylindrical drum, B is secured thereon at either side of the box B and on the forward end of the board B a smaller semi-cylindrical drum, B, is secured on either side ofthebox-B The purpose of the box B and drums B B is to increase the volume of sound and the fullness of the notes by increasing the resonant and vibrating surface of the violin.

Across the sounding-board B, on either side of the peak f, is a bridge, 0 O, the rearmost one of which, 0, is provided with perforations .for holding in place the violin-strings FG, that pass through it, while said strings F G are supported on the edge of the bridge 0.

The tail-piece D is held by a loop, g, on a stud, h, in the rear end of the violin A, in the usual manner. This tail-piece D is constructed with a pocket, 75, through the sides of which arepassedthestring-tighteningpinsE,forholding the lowerendsof the three auxiliary strings F, while the front of said tail-piece D is provided with holes l, as usual, for the fastening ofthe lower ends of the usual violin-strings, G. The upper ends of the three auxiliary strings F are made fastto the upper rod,m-,of aswinging link, H, which latter is pivoted on a trans- 8o verse rod, 11, in the pocket 0 of the scroll I. The rod m of the link H has its ends bent, as shown, for the purpose of more surely holding the ends of the strings F. The auxiliary strings F are stretched in the interspaces of the strings G, so that the seven strings occupy no more space than do the usual four strings; neither do they interfere with each other. By this arrangement the operator is enabled to play two notes at once and to play the accom- 9o paniment with the tune.

This improvement is not confined in its application to violins, but may be advantageously applied to bass-viols and kindred musical instruments. 5

The box B and the drum B are to be pro vided with sounding-posts, as shown at a 3 The walls of the box B and the drum B are also to be suitably perforated.

Having thus fully described my invention, 10o

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Aviolin constructed, substantially as herein shown and described, with an independent sounding-board covering and supported on the belly of the violin and carrying the stringbridges, as set forth.

2. In a violin, the combination, with the an iliary sounding-board B, placed over and communicating with the violin-belly, of the strings G and auxiliary strings F, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a violin, as a means for increasing the volume of sound and the fullness of the notes, the sounding-board B, constructed, substantially as herein shown and described, of board B, longitudinal central box, B and drums B B*, said sounding-board being connected with the Violin-belly by studs or supports a a, as set forth.

4. In a violin,'as a means of increasing the volume of sound, the combination of the strings G and auxiliary strings F, placed near together, and adapted to be stopped and vibrated by the bow in pairs, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a violin, as a means for stretching the auxiliary strings I, the combination, with the swinging link H, of the tail-piece D, provided with tightening-pins E, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. Aviolin tail-piece constructed,substantially as herein shown and described, with stringholes I and tightening-pins E, as set forth.

7. The combination, with the violin A,of the auxiliary sounding-board B, secured in pocket 0 over the belly, and communicating therewith by pins to a, substantially as shown and described.

S. In a violin,the combination, with the auxiliary sound-board B, ofthefinger-board d, provided with the pocket 0, whereby the soundboard B is sccured over the belly of a violin, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a violin, the combination, with the sounding-board B, of the bridges G G, tailpiece D,provi(led with tightening-pins E, auxiliary strings F, and swinging link II, substantially as herein shown and described.

PHINEAS TOPHAM.

\Vit-nesses:

AMos DAY, JNo. J. MoBRInE. 

